


When One Journey Ends, Another Begins

by LancePuns



Series: When One Journey Ends, Another Begins. [1]
Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/F, F/M, GET OUT THERE, GET UP, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I probably fucked up a lot, I should be sleeping, It's midnight, Shipping, Waifu Wars the game, Writing is not my strong suit, YOU'LL NEVER SEE IT COMIIIIIIIIIIIIIN', i hate my life, wake up, whoops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-11-09 16:49:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11108739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LancePuns/pseuds/LancePuns
Summary: After his probation has ended, Akira sets off with his friends to go home. However, on the way there, they discover shadows lurking in the middle of Tokyo. With a new goal in mind, the Phantom Thieves are reassembled and begin taking on this new threat that seeks to recreate the world. With help along the way, will the Phantom Thieves be able to defeat another god, or will they fall in defeat?





	1. One Journey Ends

**Author's Note:**

> I finished half of this tonight, and it's midnight where I live. So I apologize if it looks sloppy towards the end.
> 
> This is also my first work outside of Pokemon, so the series will more than likely get better as we go along.
> 
> Also, all P5 relationships I have tagged in this have not yet started. They are just beginning to develop as this story begins. P4 relationships are different in that respect, as they've had more time to develop, so I'll be sure to make it clear what relationships are already happening and which ones will develop throughout the story.
> 
> Enjoy.

**_March 20th, 2017 - Cafe Leblanc_ **

Mornings were never very difficult for Akira to handle. He was not the kind of person to lay awake in bed, being too lazy to get up, for hours on end. Not like Ann or Ryuji probably were at 7 AM in the morning. Waking up and getting up were very easy for him, and with Morgana with him, it made it even easier. Mostly because if he didn’t get up, Morgana would claw his eyes out, but that was besides the point.

However, today was a bit different.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get up out of bed as he was opening his eyes for the first time this morning. It wasn’t that he wanted to get more sleep or that he was too lazy, either. No, for him, the reason today was going to be such a difficult morning was because what he had to do.

_“Now that your probation is up, your parents think you should go home.”_

Sojiro had told Akira that a few days after he’d been released from juvie. After his record was made clean by Shido’s confession, there really was no reason for his parents to have him stay in Tokyo. Even as he protested against the idea, saying he had made better friends in Tokyo than he ever had at home, they were set on becoming a family again. In some ways, this was refreshing for Akira. His parents seemed to care more about him now than they did before the incident with Shido. He felt like they were genuinely making an effort to love him. 

However, they weren’t the problem. They weren’t the reason he didn’t want to go back home. The reason was because of his friends. Ann, Ryuji, Haru, Yusuke, and Makoto had all been great friends and fun to spend time with throughout the past year. Futaba and Sojiro truly felt like family before his parents asked him to come home. Morgana was his cat - correction, his _roommate_ now.

He knew he didn’t have much of a choice since his friends already said they would drive him to his home the week before, but he still didn’t feel right just leaving them. He would miss them, even if they promised each other to see each other as much as they possibly could.

However, he decided moping wasn’t going to do him any good. He sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, looking around his attic of a bedroom. His cat - _roommate_ \- seemed to be curled up on the table just beside the stairs heading into the cafe downstairs. Morgana had his eyes open and his head up, but the rest of his body was curled into a ball, nice and comfy. At least, as comfy as you could get on a table.

Getting up, Akira looked around to make sure he’d packed everything he brought. Not seeing anything, he got up and began putting on the clothes he’d prepared for himself. It was his usual casual wear; a white button up on top of a black shirt with blue jeans. He decided to put his glasses on today, even if they were fake.

“It's finally the day, huh? You and I are leaving the others to go home.” Morgana said, his tone a bit more depressed than usual. Frankly, Akira felt the same way. He didn't want to leave, but he would put on a smile anyway. He wouldn't make his friends more sad than they needed to be.

“Yeah… We're already packed, so let's go downstairs and have breakfast.” Akira replied as he put on a smile and walked to the stairwell. As he took steps down, Morgana jumped after him, going to the counter in the cafe as Akira reached the final step.

“Joker’s sleeping status has gone away! He’s awake!” said a familiar orange haired girl as the boy came down stairs. Her glasses and smirk let Akira know that she was wide awake and teasing him, the former being a bit surprising. “Morning, Akira!”

Akira smiled with a wave, sitting down next to his “sister”. While they weren’t blood related, Futaba certainly felt like the closest thing he had to a sister. She had said before that he was like a brother to him, too, so the feeling was most definitely mutual. “Morning, Futaba. Why are you awake this early? The others won’t be here until around noon.” 

Her response was to be expected to Akira, taking a bite of the curry Sojiro had no doubt made for her. “And that’s exactly why! The others will be here, and I want some time with you to myself before you go! What else would siblings want?” Futaba made the smile she always seemed to have when she was with her friends.

Akira smiled back as Morgana walked to the counter between the two of them. “I’m here, too, you know!” Morgana seemed to be seeking attention, but Futaba shot back almost immediately.

“You’re gonna be with him the rest of your life! You don’t count!” Futaba said using a tone that could’ve been mistaken as angry, though the group had been together for long enough that Morgana and Akira could tell that she wasn’t actually angry. If anything, just aggressively making a statement.

Before the conversation could continue, both Akira and Futaba got messages on their phones. Both pulled them out checked the messages.

 **YUSUKE:** The plan is to meet at Leblanc by 10 AM, correct?

 **FUTABA:** You bet it is, Inari!（＾ｖ＾）

 **FUTABA:** Sojiro said he wouldn’t open shop today because of all that’s going on today.

 **MAKOTO:** Would it be possible for Yusuke and I to come now, then? I’ve got nothing planned before 10.

 **YUSUKE:** Neither do I. Perhaps it would simply be easier.

 **AKIRA:** Yes, you guys can come.

 **FUTABA:** Hey, now I can’t have Akira to myself before the ride! ノಠ_ಠノ

 **HARU:** I will be unable to join you until later, unfortunately. I have to take care of my garden this morning.

 **AKIRA:** Don’t worry about it, Haru. Ryuji and Ann won’t be here until 10 anyway.

 **MAKOTO:** Ryuji does like to run in the morning, so that makes sense. 

 **MAKOTO:** Of course, he also runs late as a result.

 **HARU:** Was that pun intentional?

 **FUTABA:** Morgana says “I concur, Queen”. 

 **AKIRA:** You left out a few choice words. 

 **YUSUKE:** Most likely for the better. 

 **YUSUKE:** That aside, I am on my way.

 **MAKOTO:** As am I. See you four soon. 

 **HARU:** I shall see you all when I am finished with my garden.

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Niijima Residence_ **  

Makoto put her phone away as she walked out of her apartment door. She had told her sister the night before she would be going out most of today anyway, so Sae wasn’t exactly surprised to see Makoto leaving early.

As she walked to the first floor via stairs, Makoto thought about the past year. Everything that happened since the day Akira walked through the doors of Shujin Academy with Ryuji a wooping five hours late to school, claiming they had been taken prisoner in a castle. Back then, she and the other student government kids thought that he was just going to be a trouble maker and someone they would have to hassle like they already did with Ryuji to make sure he was on his best behavior.

Fast forward to after Madarame was arrested and she was following Akira around school and Shibuya. Soon after, she was blackmailing the thieves at that time to take down an unknown person. After Ryuji called her useless, she became reckless, and within the next few hours, she had awoken to her persona Johanna and become a Phantom Thief. Throughout the next few months, she would become friends with everyone in the group, even Ryuji. Yet now, after months of feeling like she had a place, she was suddenly unsure of her future.

Akira was leaving.

This wasn't as big a deal with most of the other Phantom Thieves. They'd all been able to create bonds within the group aside from Akira, meaning they were still with friends without him. And that’s not to say that Makoto was not friends with the other thieves. She just wasn’t as comfortable around most of them without Akira. The only exception was really Ryuji, mostly due to her having to confront him about tests and grades in school, but that wasn’t exactly the best friendship to have.

With Akira gone, she was going to feel more alone than she had in months. And she wasn’t sure if she would be able to cope with it.

In the back of her mind, she hoped that he would stay in Tokyo. That way the Phantom Thieves would still be together. They were losing two members thanks to the Kurusu family.

She then realized that she was being selfish. She wanted Akira to stay here only because she’d be lonely. Because she’d have difficulty having a good time with the Phantom Thieves without him. Because she would be unable to function without him by her side for more than a day.

 _Unable to function?_ She thought as she made her way out of her building and starting towards the subway station nearby. _That might be a little exaggerated…_ Perhaps it was her desire to be useful speaking. She had always been useful as a Phantom Thief, but if she was not able to be of use outside of that…

No, she could be of use. She knew she could. She would offer Ryuji and Ann tutoring for their classes. She would try to help Haru how to best grow her plants. She would help Yusuke with… Whatever it is he needs. She would help Futaba, along with Ryuji and Ann, get used to going to school with so many people.

As she got onto the train, Makoto began to think. Was she even useful in the first place?

The train ride was long as she thought about that question. The train ride was only four minutes long, but it felt like an hour as she contemplated if she was useful outside of her alter ego as Queen.

It wasn’t until the train door opened and people began to move around her that Makoto realized she was in Yongen Jaya. Walking through the crowd, she continued thinking to herself absentmindedly. She was hardly paying attention to where she was going as she already knew what the way to Leblanc, but that proved to be a bit troublesome when she bumped into a man with silver hair.

The man seemed to be about 4 years older than Makoto, being about the same height as Yusuke. He wore a white button up shirt and black dress pants. His grey eyes reminded him of Akira’s. It about now that she realized she was staring up at him and she blinked herself out of her daze. “My apologies, I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

The man’s response was a simply “Don’t worry about it”. He gave her a smile as he looked at her face, as if trying to place it. Makoto got slightly anxious about this, but they were immediately put to rest once he asked “Are you related to Sae Niijima?”

It was a bit surprising to be recognized in passing by a stranger, but it did calm her nerves. “Yes, that’s my older sister. Do you know her?”

The man shook his head. “Not personally. She and one of my friends have worked together, though. They contacted me about the recent cases involving a cognitive world.” He then looked down at his watch, seemingly making sure he wouldn’t be late. “My name is Yu Narukami. Sorry if this seemed a bit random.”

Makoto chuckled a little, closing her eyes for a moment. “I’m used to random. With the company I keep, it’s hard not to be used to random.”

Yu seemed to sympathize as he laughed as well. “Yeah, I understand that. Anyway, I should get going. Have a good day.”

Makoto nodded, returning the kind words and letting Yu go. She would’ve stayed there had she not remembered soon after he left that she was supposed to be going to Leblanc. She began walking once more, thinking very little of the meeting she just had. Yu was a curious person. Perhaps she would ask her sister about it when she got home from the road trip.

Wait. _The road trip!_

She had completely forgotten about getting snacks for the way there! How could she be so forgetful about something like this?

In her panicked state, however, she realized that she had reached Yongen Jaya and had just passed a convenience store near Leblanc. Right, they could stop there before they left. It’d be much easier than trying to pick out snacks for everyone else, anyway. Now she just had to play it off like she meant for this to happen.

Thankfully, she was much better at acting than Ann, so that would be no problem.

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Cafe Leblanc_ **

A few hours later, Ann and Ryuji finally walked into Leblanc, Sojiro having just finished making curry for the ten of them, including Morgana. “It’s going to be a long ride, you know,” he said as he served the new arrivals. “Fill your stomachs now so the trip will be easier”. The other Phantom Thieves had already started eating, Ann and Ryuji sitting at the booth that they were at.

They were seated in such a way that Akira was in between Makoto and Ryuji, with Yusuke, Haru, and Ann sitting on the other side. Morgana was sitting on the window sill above the table while Futaba was sitting at the opposite end of the table with a stool. Everyone was talking about the past year, reminiscing about all their adventures. The conversation was lead by Morgana, Akira, Ryuji, and Ann mostly, everyone else putting in their own thoughts throughout the discussion. Even Sojiro gave his input, particularly about when he found out who the Phantom Thieves were.

“And now we’re all here.” Akira said as they finished their entire story. It took about an hour or two, and they were already done with their curry before they even began talking about Futaba’s palace. Granted, all enjoyed the conversation, so it wasn’t too big a deal that it’d taken so long.

Makoto stood up, smiling at everyone as their gazes moved to her. “Well, I think it’s time we get going. It’s a long ride, like Boss said, and the sooner we’re gone, the sooner we get back.” Most of the group nodded and Sojiro smiled. Everyone began getting up and filing out of the cafe, Morgana, Akira, and Sojiro the only ones left after a few seconds.

Akira turned to Sojiro and smiled. “Thank you for everything, Boss. I hope I can stay with you and Futaba whenever I’m in Tokyo.” He said, Morgana hoping into Akira’s shoulder bag as he picked it up.

Sojiro’s response was expected; he’d never been one to show that he cared too much, but everyone knew he cared deeply for Akira and Morgana, even if he could only understand one of them. He did hope Akira and Morgana would return when they could, as he’d miss them. “Yeah, we’ll see when the time comes,” he said, knowing that the time would come eventually. “Try not to make too much of a mess out in the country, alright? Your parents don’t need to worry about you more than they already did this time around.”

Akira agreed, nodding his head as he looked back at the stairwell leading upstairs. He hoped that one day, he could call the room up there his home. For now, though, Akira knew it was time to leave. He would’ve hugged Sojiro, but Boss wasn’t the hugging type. So instead, the former Phantom Thief found himself walking out of Cafe Leblanc and going into the van his friends would bring him home in.

“Alright, next stop, Akira’s place!” Ryuji said, pumping his fist in the air.

“Actually, we need to grab snacks for the road, first.” Makoto pointed out as she started the engine.

“Ryuji, you should really be more respectful. Being hasty to get rid of your leader and teacher is rude.” Morgana criticized the former track star, and an argument started as it usually did between those two. The rest of the group laughed as they bickered, even Makoto letting herself enjoy this.

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya_ **

Business was as usual. People were walking with little patience for distractions, the streets were as busy with the traffic it usually had at the Shibuya Crossing, and the screens above flashing advertisements for those watching to see. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Most people would’ve thought nothing of it…

Until, in the middle of Shibuya Crossing, the voice of a devil cackles. _“Ahahaha! Bow down to me, or face the wrath of my flames!”_


	2. Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Yu is on his way to meet up with Rise, a shadow breaks out in Shibuya. When he gets there, he begins to remember what happened a few months prior and makes a decision that may change him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments you left last chapter. I was initially going to slowly write out this chapter, but the kindness I was shown gave me the motivation to write this chapter as fast as possible. It still came out a week afterwards, but I made the chapter longer than I was planning. With that, enjoy!

**_March 20th, 2017 - University of Tokyo_ **

Yu smiled to himself after his class was over. Even though he was a senior in college, his classes were more rigorous than ever. Trying to become a Psychologist was certainly more difficult than he anticipated, but if he could defeat Izanami - a _god_ \- than he could definitely pursue this career. That wasn’t even a question to him.

But today, he was more focused on his meeting with an old friend today. They’d been in contact through text throughout the past few years, but because of both of their tight schedules, they could hardly ever meet. Today was the rare time they could meet up and hang out.

Walking towards Todai-Mae Station, Yu began thinking back on his fond memories of everyone from Inaba. Yosuke was his best friend and was one of the causes leading to him starting the Investigation Team. Chie was the first person in Yasogami to talk to him and she was a great training partner. Yukiko had helped him study numerous times and was a good friend. Kanji had taught him how to be proficient and was good for a laugh (sometimes the laugh being directed at him). Rise could always cheer him up, even during the bleakest times. Naoto always gave him something to think about, whether it be a puzzle or a philosophy. And Teddie… He was just goofy and lighthearted.

Although his friends were an odd bunch that seemed unlikely, he loved and cared for all of them.

Unfortunately, Naoto, Rise, and Yu all lived in Tokyo now due to either work for the two girls or school for Yu. Everyone else was in Inaba still. Kanji was now owner of the textile shop. Chie was a cop in training, working under his uncle Dojima. Yukiko was in charge of room service at the Amagi Inn. And Yosuke and Teddie were still working for Mr. Hanamura at Junes, though they had become much better workers, even if they were hectic outside of work.

Boarding the train that would take him to Nagatacho Station, Yu decided not to dwell on what he couldn’t control and thought about the girl he had bumped into that morning. If he remembered correctly, Prosecutor Niijima’s sister was named Makoto. She seemed nice enough, and if his classes had taught him anything, it was how to read emotions. He could tell she was uncomfortable at first, but after knowing who he was, she was at ease and even confident talking to him.

Thinking about this made him smile. She certainly was very different than her sister. Which he thought of as a good thing.

The rest of his ride was pretty boring. Getting off at Nagatacho Station and boarding the train to Shibuya Station, Yu heard talk of something about an accident at Shibuya Crossing. He didn’t think much of it, though he did have a thought on if Rise was in trouble or not. He wouldn’t think about it too much, though; he had his phone, and she would call him if she was in trouble, if not text him.

As he thought that, however, he did get a text. Pulling his phone out on the packed bus, Yu turned it on to see Rise did text him. _That’s worrying._

 **RISE:** Senpai, you’re not going to believe this!

 **YU:** I heard about an accident at Shibuya Crossing. Are you alright?

 **RISE:** Accident is a serious understatement!

 **RISE:** There’s a _shadow_ in the middle of _Shibuya_!

 **YU:** With all the buildings and people, I’m sure there are a lot of shadows in Shibuya.

 **RISE:** Not that kind of shadow! The TV kind!

Yu blinked as he read that. He reread it, then reread it. There was no way she meant _those_ shadows. The kind from the TV world that he and the Investigation Team had traveled in and destroyed. Yet, the more he tried to think of something else she could mean, the more he realized there was no way she meant anything else. He quickly texted back.

 **YU:** I’m almost there. Can you call Naoto?

 **RISE:** On it. Get here as soon as possible!

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya Crossing_ **

“Akira, could you grab me a Frui-Tea from the cooler for me?”

Sitting in the middle seats of the Phantom Thieves van, Akira was in the best position to reach the cooler. It was just beneath his seat, so all he had to do was pull out the mini cooler open it up to grab the Frui-Tea for Ann. She had recently decided to start drinking and eating healthier foods, but her sweet tooth was still as active as ever. Handing it to her, she thanked him and drank a few gulps of it.

They had only left about 30 minutes ago, about 10 minutes of that time being spent in the convenient store getting snacks and drinks. The other 20 minutes was spent waiting in traffic, which was a bit odd. It should’ve taken less than half that time to get to Shibuya. Was something going on?

Morgana, who was laying in the lap of Akira, flicked his ears up. The cat-like creature looked outside the front window and jumped to the dashboard as he looked onward. It took everyone a moment to look at each other before Ryuji finally spoke up. “Uh, Morgana? The hell are ya doin’?”

Morgana immediately scolded him, raising a paw and letting out a hiss. “Shh!” With that, Ryuji feel silent and looked at the other teens, trying to figure out what to do. But after a few seconds, Morgana jumped to Ann’s side of the front seat. “Get out, everyone!”

Ann jumped back at the cat’s sudden order. “Morgana, what are you talking about? We’re in the middle of the street.”

“And the reason we’re not out of Shibuya yet is because there’s a _shadow_!” Morgana countered.

Everyone in the car fell silent. Akira looked at Morgana in the eyes, giving him a stern look to see if the cat faltered. If this was a joke, Morgana would crack.

Looked Akira back in the eyes and didn’t move.

“Makoto, do we have our stuff in the back of the van?” Akira asked, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“What- Akira, what are you-”

Cutting her off, Akira kept his eyes on Morgana. “Are our weapons in the back?”

Makoto hesitated. This was unusual behavior from both of them. If this was a joke, Futaba was either getting better at acting or she hadn’t heard Morgana and Akira talking about it. But thinking back on it, she would’ve had to. Morgana and Akira had been with her all morning. And if this was a joke, it was very convenient. After thinking for a moment, Makoto responded with a stern voice.

“Yes.”

“Everyone, grab your weapons.” Akira said. “We’re making a comeback.”

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya Crossing_ **

Rise was looking around for either of her friends. When she called Naoto, the detective said she wouldn’t be there for half an hour. Yu said he was almost there on text, so she kept her eye on the Shibuya Station entrance. She was hiding by it anyway, and currently the police that were on scene hadn’t yet found her and escorted her away. She hoped to keep it that way.

Peering to the station entrance once more, she saw Yu come out of the subway system. She quickly waved to him while trying to keep hidden. He seemed to understand that they weren’t supposed to be there as he snuck his way over to her.

When he got to her, they crouched down to remain hidden. Rise initiated the conversation, making sure to whisper. “Naoto said she wouldn’t be able to get here for another half an hour. Police are everywhere trying to create a perimeter around Shibuya Crossing.” As she took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm herself down, Rise took a peak around the corner where they were hiding to see that the police were moving to a different area. “I have no clue how the shadow got here, but I tried to call Kouzeon. It didn’t work. I can’t summon my persona.”

Yu nodded, now getting a grasp on the situation. He decided to try it for himself, standing up and yelling out to the now evacuated area. “Izanagi-no-Okami!” Put his hand out, he waited for a tarot card to appear, but nothing did. All he would end up closing his hand on was the thin air. Sighing, Yu helped Rise up. “I don’t have my sword, either. Let’s get closer and see if we can figure out what’s going on in better detail.”

With that, Yu and Rise began walking closer to the streets, looking around for anything abnormal. If they didn’t know a shadow had appeared and the current lack of people, then it could’ve been seen as a normal day in Shibuya. Yu seemed to be content with taking his time walking closer to the streets, most likely due to caution. But Rise felt a bit frustrated due to this. She understood that they had no personas yet had to take on a shadow, but that didn’t settle her nerves. It made her anxious.

However, something caught Rise’s eye as they were only a few meters from the street. Turning her head to the right, Rise confirmed what she saw; a group of teenagers walking down the street to the crossing. She counted seven of them, all holding some sort of gun and a melee weapon as well. Stopping Yu, Rise grabbed his arm and pointed towards them as she whispered. “Senpai, look!”

Yu looked over and immediately staggered backwards. He recognized a few of the kids; Makoto Niijima, the girl he met that morning, along with the daughter of the Okumura family, the former pupil of that famous artist that had his heart changed by the Phantom Thieves, and one kid that he remembered feeling sympathetic for a few months earlier.

Akira Kurusu.

* * *

**_December 18th, 2016 - Sae Niijima’s Office_ **

“Prosecutor Niijima?” A detective with blue hair and a blue jacket said as she knocked on the office door of the aforementioned prosecutor. Naoto Shirogane waited for Sae to let her in, which only took a moment. Opening the door, Naoto walked in, closed the door, and sat down at the seat in front of her desk.

Sae seemed to be in thought as she spoke to Naoto. “Detective Shirogane, what do you want to talk to me about? I’ve got a big case at the moment.” To Naoto, she seemed to be almost annoyed that the former “Detective Prince” decided to drop in uninvited. But, knowing Naoto was here for a good reason (she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t), Sae had decided to let her in and talk. What harm could it cause?

Naoto started off simple. “You just got out of the room with Akira Kurusu, a boy who was arrested as a Phantom Thief. I would like to ask what he said. There is something I’d like to confirm.”

Sae sighed in what seemed like annoyance. “Detective, you wouldn’t believe me if I did tell you what he said.” Naoto only smirked in response as she looked at Sae.

“Try me.”

This threw the prosecutor for a loop. She hadn’t heard someone speak with that much confidence in a very long time. Not since her father.

Shaking her head off the thought, Sae sighed and decided to give in, explaining in a short summary what Akira said. Naoto listened thoughtfully and asked a clarifying question every so often to let Sae know she was listening. Once the story was over, Naoto thought for a moment. This entire story reminded her of the incidents five years prior. Just as she had thought.

“Prosecutor, what if I told you I have experience with cases like this one?” Naoto inquired. Sae’s face seemed scrunch in a glare.

“Impossible.”

“Impossible? Or just unlikely? Because I assure you, a group of eight people, including myself, had experiences that share similar to this story from Akira Kurusu.”

This made Sae think for a moment. “Then I ask you; what do you want?”

Naoto shifted the blue hat she wore, pulling the front down over her eyes. She made a habit of doing it, knowing it made it more difficult to read her. “I was going to suggest contacting one of my former teammates. He was the leader of that group and had the most experience and understanding of us all. I still have his contact information.”

The prosecutor thought for another moment. Naoto knew this was a tempting offer; Sae was searching for any and all information she could help her in this case. Plus, it had no drawbacks other than involving unrelated people. The detective knew her offer would be accepted, and Sae confirmed as much as she asked for the contact information. 

* * *

**_December 20th, 2016 - Sae Niijima’s Office_ **

Yu, Naoto, and Sae all sat around a table, Sae glancing at Naoto before she looked to the newcomer. “Yu Narukami,” she said, Yu quickly turning his gaze to her. He held a composed look about him, knowing that if he showed much weakness, Sae would likely get frustrated. He made sure to keep his composure as she continued, not daring to even look at Naoto unless she spoke to him. “Before we begin, I must once more ask for you to not share any of the information presented to you outside of the people in this room at his moment.”

Yu looked at her eyes, the brown, stern look in them intimidating him; a feat not many people could pull off. Afterall, he had defeated a _god_ before. But he managed, nodding his head and speaking in his usual confident and serious voice. “Of course.”

Sae took no time continuing into business. “Detective Shirogane said that you and her, along with an undisclosed amount of people, have dealt with beings called “shadows” before and have managed to change the hearts of people. I understand that this is similar to the Phantom Thieves case, with the exception that those who changed did so willingly.” She waited for a response from Yu, who simply nodded. She continued. “I would like to ask you for any and all information you have on shadows. I believe the Phantom Thieves case may have similar aspects to it.”

And to that, Yu nodded, beginning explaining all that he knew. He explained how his friends all got personas, including asking Naoto to explain what her persona had said before. While she hesitated at first, Naoto did explain herself, and Sae only took in the information. Yu thought this may be because she was simply trying to learn rather than question. She didn’t know anything about this, after all.

But once he was done explaining, Yu decided to pursue truth. He always had. “Prosecutor Niijima, I’d like to ask you something before we continue. It’s been nagging me for quite a while.” Sae seemed to be a bit confused, if for only a second. It was clear her train of thought had been broken.

“What is it, Mr. Narukami?”

“The headline a couple of days ago,” he started, “about the supposed leader of the Phantom Thieves being arrested.” Yu could tell something he said struck a nerve within Sae. It was as if she knew what he would ask. Perhaps she did. But Yu didn’t care. He wanted to know the truth. Because something didn’t add up at the moment.

“Later, reports stated he committed suicide while in custody. If that’s the case, the Phantom Thieves may disband, unable to function properly. Which makes it even stranger that I’d be required for any of this. You have his possessions, which means would could probably figure out who worked with him. So I guess my question is… Who is the Phantom Thief, and is he actually dead?”

Sae was stunned into silence. She had never seen a simple civilian figure out so much like this. He made it seem so easy. She supposed that someone who worked with Naoto, especially as her higher up, would’ve been smart, but it was still a shock. He made such deductions that even some workers of the law struggled to make.

Sighing, Sae took out a folder, opening it and sliding it across the table to Yu. She could trust him. Naoto did as much, and he had promised to keep everything discussed to this group. “His name is Akira Kurusu. My sister is friends with him, so I know him outside of this case,” she cut herself off, keeping the fact that she may be a Phantom Thief as well to herself for the time being.

Yu took a look at the picture and files, taking note of what was going on. He, for one, didn’t mind the Phantom Thieves. He believed that they were doing the right thing. He understood why Naoto wasn’t a fan of theirs; they might as well have been taking her job. But he digressed, taking note of what Sae said. “‘Is friends’, as in ‘is still friends’,” he said with confidence, noting Sae’s lack of response and taking it as confirmation that he was still alive.

Standing, Yu nodded and slid the files back to Saw and Naoto. “Unless you have more questions for me, I believe the meeting is finished.”

Sae got up and nodded, extending her hand out toward him. “Of course. I thank you for your time.” And with that, they shook hands and the two former persona users left.

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya Crossing_ **

Yu didn’t know what he was going to do, but he certainly wasn’t going to let Akira and the Phantom Thieves walk into battle on their own. He began running, leaving Rise in his tracks. The idol tried to run after him, but she could hardly do so in her high heels. “Yu, wait! Where are you going?”

Yu truly didn’t know what he was going to do. He just began running to the teenagers that were about to attack a shadow with nothing but normal melee weapons and, now that he was closer and could see them better, model guns. But he did know one thing.

"I'm going to fight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it begins. I'll need a bit more time than before for the next chapter due to reasons that will be explained when it releases (along with the fact that I have finals this week). Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and I hope even more that you all have a splendid day.


	3. Seeker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and the Phantom Thieves figure out how to use their powers in the real world, but before they can even find the shadow, they find another persona user with power rivaling his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, really sorry about how late this one is coming. With finals going on and my first week of summer filled with friend get-togethers and family outings, I was hardly able to focus much on this until this weekend. I managed to write this over the past two days and am pretty proud of the results. Our first issue is created in this chapter, and with it comes possibility for what I could do to resolve/prolong it. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, and have a splendid day!
> 
> Also, I am not sorry for that pun.

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya Crossing_ **

The Phantom Thieves were all walking down the street leading to Shibuya Crossing. They managed to hide from the police officers that were creating a perimeter by hiding in the back of the van. Morgana had decided to see if he could sneak around and attack from another angle, thus he was not with them as they approached the center. But as Akira approached the street, he stopped and ducked behind a car, the rest of the thieves following suit.

Taking out his phone, Akira looked for the Nav. Surely if shadows were appearing in the real world, he would be able to change into his thief outfit, along with everyone else. But Igor was either unaware of this development or decided they didn’t need the nav anymore because he didn’t see it on the device.

Grumbling in frustration, Akira looked up to see who was where - Futaba had stayed behind a bit, hiding a row of cars back. He could only tell by the silhouette of her feet. Beside him on his right, Makoto was crouched on one knee like she often did when hiding behind a corner in a palace with Ryuji hiding in a similar position. To his left, Yusuke was positioned on the side of a different car with Ann and Haru staying behind him and waiting for a signal of some sort.

All eyes were on Akira. And he had no clue what to do. He was still the dorky and normal kid he was in the real world.

Yet he knew he had to do something. He couldn’t just sit here and let a shadow roam free and destroy Tokyo. He looked around for anything that might help. Something in these cars? In the buildings? That blue door? The train station?

 _Wait…_ He thought to himself, refocusing his eyes to the blue door that he saw. It was just… There. Waiting to be opened and lead to seemingly nowhere. But Akira knew better than to think it was a door to nowhere.

Glancing to his right, he saw Makoto looking in the same direction he was. She didn’t see the door - only he could - so she was likely very confused as to what he was looking at. When she finally looked back at him, Akira mouthed the words “blue door” and she understood; while Akira had never really explained in full what the Velvet Room was, he did tell everyone that was where he swapped his personas. Mouthing the words “I’ll be right back”, Akira got up and left Makoto as the leader of the Phantom Thieves. He did that sometimes anyway, so this was nothing new for anyone.

Walking up to the door, Akira closed his eyes before looking up at the two girls sitting atop the blue door. He knew them all too well after all the services they had allowed him throughout this last year.

“Justine, Caroline,” Akira said, trying to get their attention.

And all of a sudden, he was being kicked towards the door by Caroline, the sound of Justine’s words ringing through his head as she opened the door. “Our master would like a word with you.”

Waking up in the familiar uncomfortable stone bed, Akira got up and looked through the bars of his prison cell. The walls were entirely blue, and on the other side of the cell’s bars were the two girls from before. Beyond them was the man that he would often call “long nose” when talking to his friends, Igor, sitting at a desk, smiling.

“Hello, Trickster, and welcome to the Velvet Room.” He said, his smile never fading. That was something that never changed about Igor. He was always smiling and his eyes always looked strained. It was a bit creepy at times, but Akira had two questions before he could continue. “I understand that you are in a predicament and are in need of assistance. You may ask me what you please.” This Igor wasn’t fake - his high-pitched voice and mysterious tone made Akira sure of that.

Akira nodded and started off by looking at the two girls in front of him. “What happened to Lavenza?”

“Inmate, don’t ask such dense questions!” Caroline scolded, slamming her baton into the bars of his cell.

“We simply prefer these forms around you. And after you began to get used to the two of us, it seemed more fitting.” Justine said, her voice much calmer and kinder in comparison to her counterpart.

Moving on, now that Akira had his answer for the two halves, Akira looked at Igor directly. His voice was as serious as he could get it as he spoke. “What’s going on and how can I stop it?” He debated saying ‘how can the Phantom Thieves stop it’ but knew that this path he was on - the reason he was in the Velvet Room for - was made for him and he would only have to drag those who wanted a part of it in.

Igor took pause as if sensing the situation. Which was a bit odd; Igor had never done that in front of Akira. Perhaps this was an unforeseen event even by him…?

Akira had no time to think about that, however, as Igor responded with his pleased voice. “You’ll need to summon your persona in the real world, yet have no way to do so. Thus, I believe it is time for you and the other persona users - your allies - to gain said ability. Just as I created the Metaverse Navigator app, I shall create a World Navigator app. This will instantly be installed on your cellular devices. Activating it will grant every persona user within a few meters their outfits and abilities.”

Akira opened his mouth to ask a question about Igor’s wording, but he was suddenly overcome by a fatigue feeling that would force him to sleep. As he drifted out of the Velvet Room, Akira could hear the fading words of its residents.

“I bid you farewell and good luck.”

“You better do well, inmate! Our master demands it!”

“Please stay safe, inmate.”

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya Crossing_ **

Makoto was not exactly patient. She kept looking between where the shadow supposedly was and where Akira had walked off to. There had to be something to do. They were currently sitting ducks waiting.

There was a certain uselessness feeling that was beginning to set in on everyone. They had all felt it at some point throughout the past year. For Ryuji, it was when he watched Akira and Morgana get beaten up in Kamoshida’s Palace just before his awakening. For Ann, it was when she saw Shiho jump off of the school’s rooftop. For Futaba, it was every time she heard the voices before she asked the Phantom Thieves to steal her heart. For Yusuke, it was when Madarame told his lies about the Sayuri painting. For Haru, it was when she was helping Morgana but would continually mess up in her father’s palace.

But for Makoto, this feeling was a regular occurrence before the Phantom Thieves. Her sister had basically been doing everything for the family, she didn’t help the student body during Kamoshida’s reign on Shujin, Akechi, that bastard, told her himself how useless she was, as did Yusuke, Ann, and Ryuji before she was a Phantom Thief. However, this was the first time since then that anything like this had really been present in Makoto.

Thus, the student council president began thinking hard about anything that could be useful. Before she could decide their next step, however, she felt a rock hit her heel. Looking down, she picked it up and examined it curiously. Another one hit her heel again soon after, to which Makoto caught where it had come from; a certain orange haired girl a bit behind them was holding another rock as Makoto looked up. Futaba, caught in the act, seemed glad to have captured Makoto’s attention. Holding up her phone, the navigator seemed to be telling Makoto something.

Makoto decided to take out her own phone to text her what was going on, but as she turned on the screen of her phone, Makoto noticed something peculiar. She remembered something similar happening in June when she first “met” the Phantom Thieves. A blue eye icon sat where her MetaNav app once sat. Thinking about it, it looked like the same app, just with the red of the MetaNav being replaced with the blue of whatever this app was. Clicking the app initiated a prompt to appear on her phone.

 _“Should the World Navigation be initiated?”_ A woman’s voice said from her phone. The voice reminded Makoto of the MetaNav’s. In fact, it seemed to be the exact same. As she was debating saying yes, Ryuji tapped her shoulder.

“Uh, Makoto?” he asked, looking somewhat confused and concerned. “You spacin’ out about some text?”

Makoto blinked for a moment before turning her head to Ryuji. She paused for a moment, then looked back at her phone. Slowly, a smile crept up on her face as she stood up. “Everyone, I believe Akira has gotten us the power we need to battle. Prepare for infiltration upon his arrival.”

* * *

Ryuji was holding his pipe in one hand and his shotgun in the other. Neither of them had ever felt so heavy; not when he was fighting Kamoshida, not when he was battling a god, not even when he would occasionally piss off Makoto and Ann in the Metaverse. But now, sitting in the real world with both weapons in hand preparing to face an unknown enemy with little to no reassurance that they would even be able to get into their thief outfits, Ryuji could feel how nervous he was.

This feeling of his was unusual for him. He was always honest with himself about stuff like this, but he could not for the life of him figure out why he was so nervous. All they needed was their outfits to battle… Right?

He stopped right then and there, knowing that continuing would be pointlessly making himself more nervous than he needed to be and already was.

But it seemed that he wasn’t so subtle with his nervousness. As he was sitting down by the car he had initially been hiding behind, he felt someone looming over him. _Great, now Makoto’s gonna run my head off about how I should be preparin’._ Readying himself for the worst, Ryuji sighed and absentmindedly waved up. “Whaddya want?”

“Is something bothering you, Ryuji?”

Ryuji blinked.

That wasn’t Makoto’s voice. Her voice was much deeper and serious than this one.  
Looking up with a confused expression, Ryuji saw a familiar pink sweatered girl standing over him. Stuttering, he blinked again and put his weapons down, rubbing the back of his head once his hands were free. “Yeah, I ain’t feelin’ very confident. I mean, what if we aren’t able to get into our costumes and everything?” He said, looking back to the ground at his feet.

Haru seemed to take a seat next to him, their shoulders touching as she settled in. Her axe and rocket launcher laid on the car above them. “Well, we do not know, but Akira went to the Velvet Room. Igor should be able to assist us.” She said, looking at him with a reassuring grin.

Ryuji glanced at Haru. For a moment, he felt something - an urge of some sort - but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Though her words definitely did make sense. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Maybe I’m just thinkin’ too hard about it.”

* * *

Akira walked out of the door and looked immediately to where his friends had all been hiding. Seeing Makoto and Yusuke talking to each other, he walked up to them while checking his phone. Sure enough, like Igor said, there was a blue eyecon on his phone. Akira nodded, putting his phone away in his pocket, before standing right before Makoto and Yusuke. “Are we ready? I’ve got something that will-”

Makoto cut him off with a smile. “The World Navigator seems to be a carbon copy of the MetaNav. But it allows us to be the Phantom Thieves outside of the Metaverse rather than within it.”

“Then you’re already familiar with it. Good.” Turning to find everyone else, he saw Ryuji and Haru sitting next to each other talking and Ann and Futaba looking over at the three of them. With a smirk, Akira called out to everyone. “Phantom Thieves, let’s go!”

* * *

Arriving at the crosswalk, the group all held their weapons as Akira pulled out his phone. Clicking the blue eyecon, Akira heard the familiar voice as a prompt appeared. _“Should the World Navigation be initiated?”_

Looking behind him at his friends, everyone seemed prepared, a few even looking eager to get into the action. Smirking, Akira nodded as he spoke to and pressed a button on the phone.

“Yes.”

_“Beginning World Navigation.”_

Right as the words rang from the phone, however, a voice that was unfamiliar to Akira yelled from his left. “Wait!”

Before Akira could get a look at who shouted at them, he was surrounded by blue flames. He presumed that the other Phantom Thieves were in a similar situation. The flames were only around for a few seconds, creating the masks and outfits that the thieves had grown accustomed to wearing inside palaces and the Metaverse.

Once the flames died down, Joker opened his eyes to look through his mask. He could feel it; the persona that he had and its power. He felt like he had the speed and strength that he had during their heists. It was very refreshing to him.

As he looked behind him, Joker was pleased to see that Skull, Panther, Fox, Queen, Oracle, and Noir were all accounted for. They all looked as they would in the Metaverse. Granted, Joker should’ve expected that; after all, Igor did say it would transform every persona user in the immediate vicinity. But something felt off.

Turning around to his left, he saw a very unfamiliar person. He was dressed as if he were a Phantom Thief. He looked very confused, looking at his outfit and patting his body around as if this was the first time he’d ever dressed like this. His silver hair glistened in the sunlight.

This person had a mask that seemed to look similar to Queen's, though it wrapped around his entire head and had slimmer holes at the eyes. His outfit was reminiscent to a samurai, though it had two tails at the bottom of his white coat. On his shoulders had two golden plates of armor, and his feet were covered by golden shoes. He had a double handed sword in his right hand, appearing just as Joker turned his head to face him. Joker immediately pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the newcomer.

“Who are you and what do you want with us?” Joker said as the other Phantom Thieves noticed the newcomer and quickly surrounded him, taking aim should he decide to make a move. The man looked down at his left hand as if to focus on it.

Joker grew impatient. “Hey! I asked you a-”

Before Joker could finish, a card appeared in the man’s hand. Closing his hand on it, the Phantom Thieves heard a familiar sound similar to shattering glass, followed by the words they thought only they could use.

“Persona…”

The man’s voice was deep, quiet, and composed, but Joker didn’t have much time to think about such a thing as a persona appeared above him. It had a white jacket, pants, mask, and a giant sword. It crouched into a ball before extending its arms and legs, releasing a powerful attack known as Megidolaon. Being cast on the Phantom Thieves, the attack managed to do a good amount of damage to everyone.

“Ack, what the hell?!” Skull said as he got up slowly from the attack.

“These power levels are…!” Oracle said in an astonished tone, her eyes more than likely wide open beneath her mask. “Guys, this guy’s persona is insane! He resists four elements and has no weaknesses!”

Joker got up and looked at the man as if to scan him.

Then he smirked.

“He’s not the only one with no weaknesses and a handful of resistances.” He said, ripping off his mask and summoning Satanael. The persona was much smaller compared to when it was first summoned, but Joker could tell the power was no different. Using Maeigaon, Joker attacked the man and managed to do a good amount of damage back on him.

The silver haired man got up quickly though. “A persona? Then you must be-”

“The Phantom Thieves?” Queen said, keeping her fists up in case she needed to attack. “Yes, we are. Now, answer our questions. Who are you? And what do you want?”

“That voice… Niijima?” The man said, seemingly a bit startled by the realization. Queen immediately attacked, using her fists to punch the man quickly in the face. Joker almost felt bad about it. He knew how hard Makoto could punch and how she could easily have broken the man’s jaw. He decided to ignore that feeling for the moment, however, as the man got back up.

“How do you know Queen’s last name?” Panther asked, keeping her hand close to her hip if she needed to pull out her whip.

“Queen? Are you talking about Niijima? Because I meet her this morning.”

“Impossible. I’ve been with my friends all morning,” Queen cut him off, anger flaring in her eyes. Joker made a note to never piss her off. He already took that note a couple dozen times, but he wanted to be sure he’d remember it.

The man shook his head, pulling his left hand off his sword and resting it on his side. “But you bumped into me this morning,” he explained. “In the subway.”

Queen blinked, her lips parting for a moment in confusion before her eyes widened. A realization, it seemed. “Y-Yu? You’re a persona user?”

“I told you your sister asked me for help on a case, didn’t I?” The man, apparently known as Yu, responded. “Why would a college student be needed by someone as big as Prosecutor Niijima for help? She needed more info on the cognitive world and what it might entail.” Turning his head towards Joker, Yu seemed to pause. “I see you’re fine, Kurusu. Glad you managed to get cleared.”

Joker didn’t like this man. He already knew his real name, along with Makoto’s, and had an extremely powerful persona that could rival his own. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this guy was up to something more than just being here.

And then Oracle spoke up.

“Joker! The shadow is up ahead!” She said, speaking from the comfort of her persona, Prometheus, which was floating above the persona users.

Joker had to shove these negative feelings he had on Yu and focus on the issue they came to fix; a shadow rampaging through Shibuya.

“Alright, Seeker, you’re helping us. We’ll sort things out later. Just follow our lead.”

Yu seemed confused for a moment, waiting for someone to respond before realizing Joker was referring to him. Nodding, he smiled.

“Of course. Let’s protect Shibuya.”


	4. Another Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves, with their new ally in Seeker, battle the shadow that appeared in Shibuya. Meanwhile, Rise and Naoto meet up in Shibuya and head towards Yongen-Jaya, where they meet back up with Yu and many unwelcoming faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's much later than expected due to me traveling for a week and then having lots work the week after.
> 
> Please note - Yu, AKA Seeker, had his outfit changed after the last chapter was posted. This was due to a suggestion that was given to me by an anon user. Frankly, I had no idea what to have Yu's outfit look like on my own, so a huge thank you goes to that anon user.

**_March 20th, 2017 - One of Shibuya Crossing’s Streets_ **

Yu wasn’t sure why, but he felt more alive than he had since he first discovered the TV world. Perhaps it was this new outfit he had, or the fact that he was now able to summon Izanagi-no-Okami. But now, he was working with the Phantom Thieves. He recognized Makoto only through her voice and Akira only through him being the supposed leader. He knew they were there, but with himself being surrounded when they first met, attacking seemed like a good defense at first.

Of course, now he knew that these guys were like his group from Inaba; they were trying to save people, albeit in a different way to his old method. And it seemed they were used to summoning in a different manner as well.

As Yu and the Phantom Thieves approached a commotion they assumed to be the shadow and the police fighting. It was around the corner from where they had met, and as they turned the corner to see who was there, they saw several police officers sprawled out on the floor. They seemed badly injured, leaving Queen and Panther to begin healing the multiple injured people with their Persona. With that, Yu, who was now called Seeker, Joker, Skull, Fox, Oracle, and Noir all began rushing forward past the injured.

They ran only for 20 more meters before they were upon what was causing all the chaos. A giant, red looking demon. It was actually quite stereotypical looking for a demon or devil. The only slight difference was that this one looked to be part-dragon as well.

The shadow, looking at the group that stopped in front of it, seemed to cackle as it pointed its trident at them. _“Burn, mortals, before the mighty Belial! I will kill you all!”_ It said as it used Mamudoon on the entire party. Thankfully, everyone dodged it. Oracle immediately unleashed her persona, flying up into the air with Prometheus and getting ready to scan the shadow.

“Joker, preparing shadow analysis!” As she said that, Seeker prepared to get moving. While he didn’t know how the thieves operated, he remembered what he had done himself. Thinking back to Joker’s attack on him, he grabbed the edge of his visor and pulled it off, unleashing his persona. “Take this! Izanagi-no-Okami!” The persona appeared, relishing in his Mind Charge skill. Seeker felt the power rushing through him, knowing his next magic attack would be harsh.

Next, Fox reached for his own mask and prepared to attack. “I am thou!” He shouted, deciding his move. “Kamu Susano-o!” he said as he ripped off the mask, using Masukukaja to speed up his party.

Joker followed this up, already ripping his mask off and using his own skill. “Satanael!” he summoned, using Riot Gun to attack and deal severe damage on the Belial. The shadow took plenty of damage, though it seemed to shake it off quite well.

Belial was next, healing from his automatic Heat Up skill. This time, the shadow used Maragidyne. Joker, Seeker, and Noir all took the damage decently well, but Fox took a bad hit as his weakness showed. Gaining a one more, Belial used Myriad Slashes and attacked Joker three times. Joker took a bit of damage, more than he would’ve liked, but looked to Noir as she prepared her turn.

Noir pulled off her mask and smiled at Belial as she summoned her persona. “Behold!” She said, having Astarte use One Shot Kill. Dealing severe damage and landing the critical hit on Belial, the shadow had been knocked over.

Joker took his chance and called out to his team, “Hold up!” and had everyone surround this enemy. Seeker took a moment to realize what was going on, but soon held his blade. He was ready to attack as Noir, Fox, and Joker all took out their guns and pointed them at the shadow.

“Start talking,” Joker said, glaring at the shadow. “How are you in the real world?”

Belial looked around for a moment before looking back at Joker, seemingly trying to find a way to escape. Realizing that he was surrounded, the shadow grunted. _“The flames Belial uses will help light up master’s new world. She won’t stop!”_ He said, glaring. While Joker processed these words, Belial saw the chance to counterattack and used Myriad Slashes on Seeker this time.

“Seeker, he’s coming for you!” Oracle shouted, trying to warn her new teammate. Seeker was able to get a block in with his blade on the first attack but got hit by the second.

But before Belial could back away from Seeker, he took his opportunity and attacked. “Persona!” He shouted, ripping his mask off and using Bufudyne. Seeker’s attack managed to get Belial knocked down once more, and this time, Joker didn’t hesitate. “Finished him off!” Seeker, Joker, Noir, and Fox all began attacking Belial in an all out attack.

Knowing that the shadow was nearly finished, Seeker charged forward and slashed Belial with all his might, sliding quite a few meters behind him. Slashing twice, Seeker then sheathed the sword, the shadow bursting as soon as the sword was fully sheathed. “We’ll find the truth!” He said, smiling.

Oracle came back down after letting Prometheus vanish, her mask coming back with it as they all walked back from the spot they had battle Belial. Skull spoke up, having sat the battle out to let Seeker show them what he could do. “Man, this samurai know’s how to fight!” Smiling, he turned to Joker, giving him a thumbs up. “Panther and Queen are almost done healin’ those police officers back there. I say we get outta here once they're done.”

Suddenly, however, they heard a click of a gun. It came from behind Skull, who slowly turned as everyone put their attention on a police officer that had his gun pointed at them. He was shaking a bit, seemingly terrified of them. Seeker understood why, though; they had just seen 6 people defeat a giant monster with magic. As he spoke, Seeker could hear his voice quiver. “A-Alright… Hands where I can see them!” His voice was hardly threatening, sounding more fearful than commanding.

Joker turned fully to the officer and shook his head. “Why?” was all he said, but it sounded menacing.

That made the officer flinch, grinding his teeth for a moment before answering. “Y-You’re coming with me to the station!”

Skull wouldn’t help matters as he walked up to the officer, standing maybe a meter away. “Come on, dude, we just saved your sorry ass! Besides, our teammates are healin’ up your squad.” He nodded forward, his voice seemingly irritated as he motioned to the other three Phantom Thieves.

Before the officer could react, he was swiftly unarmed by Queen’s quick hands, utilizing pressure points to take the gun away from the officer and throw it away. “Sorry, but we’re going now. Do not have us followed.” She said, glaring at him. With that, Panther and Queen joined the others and, one by one, they began running to the shadows and using ledges on the buildings to climb up to the roof. Before long, Seeker and Joker were the only two left.

They were prepared to get moving when the officer spoke up. “H-Hey!” This caught their attention, Seeker turning to face him again while Joker simply stopped and stood there, waiting for the officer to continue. “Who… Who are you…?”

Joker flinched. Seeker turned to him and waiting to see his decision. Afterall, as a new comer, Seeker had no right to answer, and as leader, Joker should be the one to decide what to respond.

But to Joker, he hadn’t a clue what to say. Partly because if he made it known who they were, they were more likely to get caught. Partly because not saying anything would be pointless if this continued happening, which, based off of what Belial said, is more than likely.

After thinking for a moment, Joker decided to say something right down the middle. “We’re the changers of the world and protectors of people. Should another shadow appear, don’t get in our way.”

With that, Joker disappeared into the shadows, Seeker following suit.

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Shibuya Station_ **

Rise had never been good with handling Yu’s desire to help other people when it put himself in danger. He was far to reckless for her liking sometimes, and this just so happened to be one of those times. But when she got a text from him, she let out a huge sigh of relief. But reading the text only made her confused.

**YU:** Meet me at Cafe Leblanc in Yongen-Jaya.

**RISE:** Yongen-Jaya?! But the trains are still down, I’d have to walk!

**YU:** Naoto isn’t with you yet?

**RISE:** No, she has shown up yet.

**RISE:** Wait, I think I see her!

**YU:** Then get a ride with her.

**RISE:** Is something going on? Why can’t you just come back here?

**YU:** I’m not in circumstances where I can negotiate.

Rise blinked when she read that. Did he run into the police? That couldn’t be it, he wouldn’t be in Yongen-Jaya if that were the case. Did he get captured? But why would the shadow want his friends to come?

Grumbling as she waved to Naoto, Rise responded one last time.

**RISE:** We’ll be there within half an hour.

With that, the idol put her phone away and frowned, thinking. She began walking to Naoto, meeting her halfway between them. Naoto, who was smiling before, tilted her head with curiosity and worry. “Is something bothering you, Rise?”

“Yu wants us to meet him in Yongen-Jaya. Some cafe named Leblanc.” Rise looked up after she stated that, noticing Naoto blink a few times with her mouth opening a bit in surprise. Rise rose an eyebrow. “Uh, Naoto? Is something wrong?”

Naoto blinked two more times before shaking her head. “No, just surprised. You’ll understand when we get there.” Naoto then turned, motioning for Rise to follow her to her car. She began mumbling something. “If Yu is there…” was all Rise could hear, but she could easily see the gears turning in Naoto. Deciding to let Naoto think for a while, Rise stayed quiet while they got into Naoto’s car.

A few minutes into the car ride, Rise was unsure Naoto was fully there. She knew Naoto was in deep thought. Whenever this happened 5 years ago, she would nearly never be able to snap out of it until she was done. Rise wasn’t sure when Naoto had finished, but with the time, she’d been able to take in her surroundings.

The car was well kept and quite comfortable. The idol didn’t know much about cars, but she could tell this one was probably middle of the road when it came to price and value. It was nice enough, in Rise’s mind.

Naoto herself had her blue hair longer than it used to be. After Yu visited Inaba a couple months after saving the world and Marie, Kanji and Naoto had started dating and began becoming more comfortable with who they were with each other’s help.

Shaking her head, Rise spoke up, hoping that Naoto was done thinking about whatever had her so occupied. “Hey, Nao-chan,” she questioned as she glanced over at her long-time friend, “what are you keeping from me?”

Naoto blinked, and Rise could tell that she just finished by the slight opening of her mouth. Naoto continued focusing on the road, navigating herself through traffic as she began. “What do you know of the Phantom Thieves of Heart?” she inquired with a straight face and serious tone.

Rise blinked, pausing before she continued, clearly confused by the sound of her voice. “They were the ones who defeated Medjed and changed Masayoshi Shido’s heart. But what does this have to do with Yu?”

“The leader of the Phantom Thieves was the boy that testified against him,” Naoto said bluntly. “I was in touch with the lead prosecutor for the Phantom Thieves case and had Yu help us with figuring out what their methods might be.”

That confused Rise more. “Why would you have Yu help with that? He’s not a cop, he’s not even out of college yet. He’s smart, but…” Rise trailed off, looking at her hands. She thought back to what happened earlier. Yu went to fight the shadow in Shibuya, but he couldn’t summon his persona, just like she couldn’t summon hers. So how was traffic back up and running? The shadow would’ve had to have been…

Rise blinked. Yu managed to use his persona. That was the only explanation she could come up with. “Wait, Naoto, the Phantom Thieves couldn’t have been…!”

Naoto only nodded. “The Phantom Thieves of Hearts’ leader, Akira Kurusu, described the power of persona to the prosecutor, who told me the story when I inquired. Since traffic is up and running, the shadow must have been defeated, which means the Phantom Thieves are able to use the power of persona in the real world. Since Kurusu lives in Yongen-Jaya, my hypothesis is that Yu encountered the Phantom Thieves, joined them in defeating the shadow, and was brought back to Yongen-Jaya for some reason, most likely to question him.”

* * *

**_March 20th, 2017 - Cafe Leblanc Attic_ **

When Ryuji watched Seeker, or Yu as he was known out of costume, fight, he was impressed but hesitant to let him onto the team. Sure, the guy was a powerful persona user, but he had also attacked them without trying to negotiate. Even Ryuji knew how reckless and stupid a move it was. It seemed that everyone else, except for Ann and Akira, was just as hesitant as they all sat around in the attic of Leblanc.

They had already asked everything they wanted to - who he was, how he got his persona, how he knew about the shadow. Akira had taken a disliking to the silver haired boy, for reasons Ryuji didn’t fully understand (not that he fully understood much), and Ann seemed to be getting Akechi flashbacks to when they last let someone on the team who already had a persona.

But when two Boss called up to the group that two more people were here looking for them, Ryuji got a bad feeling. Watching a pair of girls walk up the stairs, their eyes both going to Yu before looking at everyone else, made Ryuji a bit distrustful of them.

“Yu, you’re safe!” one of the girls said, running through the group to hug the silver haired boy. She had long red hair and was pretty small, only slightly taller than Futaba. Ryuji felt like he knew who she was, but shook off the feeling as the other girl spoke.

“Kurusu, I presume?” She said, looking Akira in the eyes. She had blue hair that was slightly longer than Makoto’s. Ryuji glanced at Akira to see him nod before the blue haired girl continued. “Since Yu is here and the shadow has vanished, I assume you seven are the Phantom Thieves?”

Makoto responded just as fast, saying “I guess Yu must have contacted backup before we got back. Who are you and what do you” she said, referring to the three outsiders, “want to do with us?” Ryuji took a look at her and only one thing came to mind; the queen was in rage mode. At this point, he would avoid doing anything stupid in fear of taking a punch or kick from Makoto.

Yu and the red haired girl got up and walked over to their friend. After an exchange of glances, Yu was the one to answer the question.

“Let’s talk. It’ll make things clearer.”


End file.
